Means for forcing liquid from barrels and safety devices therefor



July 14, 1970 LAMB 3,520,323

. MEANS FOR FORCING LIQUID FROM BARRELS AND SAFETY DEVICES THEREFOR Filed May 17, 1968 5 41 2 j: Fl G. 3. \g 40 24 v '38 E a x 3658 z 40- 5t /4 30 E INVENTOR.

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United States Patent 3,520,323 MEANS FOR FORCING LIQUID FROM BARRELS AND SAFETY DEVICES THEREFOR Kay R. Lamb, 1105 Ridge Ave., Rockford, Ill. 61103 Filed May 17, 1968, Ser. No. 730,055 Int. Cl. F04f 1/00; B67d 5/54; B65d 83/14 US. Cl. 137-212 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A barrel; a tubular body secured to said barrel; a tube aligned with said body and entering said barrel; dispensing means connected with said body; a source of controlled gas pressure connected to said body; a duct in said body connected to said source of pressure, said duct extending from the external atmosphere to the interior of said barrel; a check valve between said duct and said pressure source and a relief valve between said duct and the atmosphere.

This invention relates to means for drawing liquid from a barrel under a constantly maintained pressure head with certain safety features which make it impossible to overpressurize the interior of the barrel and also are operative to eliminate any possibility of pressure failure due to surges or pressure drops in the pressure supply system.

The above and other objects will be made clear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the annexed drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation partly in section of the device applied to a barrel;

FIG. 2 is a top elevation partly in section, taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a section on the line 33 of FIG. 2.

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a barrel to which is secured a conventional screw threaded bung 12. The bung 12 receives external screw threads 14 formed on a cylindrical tubular body 16. The body 16 is connected by a pipe 18 to a conventional dispensing spigot 20.

A line 22 delivers air or other gas under pressure to a conventional pressure regulator 24, which carries a gauge 26 to indicate the pressure effective within the barrel 10.

In most cases, air pressure from any conventional source will be used. If, however, the contents of the barrel were beer, the line 22 would carry carbon dioxide under pressure or if the contents of the barrel were readily oxidizable, either carbon dioxide or nitrogen would be supplied through the line 22.

The body 16 has also formed in it a gas passage 34, which passes through the bung 12 to communicate with the interior of the barrel 10 and supply a pressure which will force liquid upwardly through the pipe 32, passage 28 and pipe '18.

A relief passage 36 is also formed in the body 16 and connects with the passage 34. At its upper end, the passage 36 has a valve seat 38 formed to receive a ball-type relief valve 40. A spring 42 bears on the valve 40 and a plug 44 has threaded engagement with the upper end of the passage 36 and thereby regulates tension on spring 42. The plug 44 has a duct 46 communicating with the atmosphere. These parts constitute a safety or relief valve to prevent over-pressurization of the interior of the barrel 10.

The controller 24 is joined to the body 16 by a nipple generally designated 48, which has a reduced portion 50 in threaded engagement with a transverse opening in the body 16 and with a larger opposite end 52 in threaded engagement with an opening in the controller 24. A sleeve 54 is fitted into the portion 52 and forms a valve seat for a ball valve 56 which is biased by a spring 58 toward the seat defined by the sleeve 54. The spring 58 bears on an insert 60, threaded into the portion 50 of the nipple 48. The member 60 has a central aperture 62, providing communication between the controller 24 and the gas duct 34 of the member 16. The purpose of this arrangement is to protect against a sudden drop of pressure in the line 22 or in the controller 24. If such a pressure drop occurs, pressure inside the barrel 10, assisted by the spring 58, seats the ball 56 in the sleeve 54 blocking communication between the member 16 and the controller 24. As liquid flows out of the barrel, pressure drops above the liquid level. The pressure in the controller 24 then overcomes the spring 58 and pressure in the barrel is restored to the predetermined proper level. It is clear, therefore, that with the relief valve and the check valve, either over or under, pressure within the barrel 10 is effectively prevented.

No doubt, the foregoing description will suggest to those skilled in the art various rearrangements of the parts and design. For example, the term barrel includes drums, tanks, or other containers. It is not intended, therefore, to limit this invention to the precise details as disclosed, but only as set forth in the subjoined claim.

I claim:

1. Means to discharge liquid contents from a barrel, said means comprising a tubular body externally threaded at one end for attachment to a bung in a barrel and internally threaded at the same end for attachment to a tube extending into said barrel, the opposite end of said body being threaded for attachment to a dispensing means; a source of controlled gas pressure connected to said body; said body having parallel, mutually radially off-set ducts extending axially from each end thereof; a radially directed duct intersecting both of said axial ducts, the outer portion of said radial duct being threaded, a nipple engaging said threaded portion, said nipple containing a check valve and having means connecting said nipple to said source of controlled pressure; the upper end of the uppermost of said axial ducts being threaded and containing an internal pressure relief valve.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 189,330 ll/1922 Great Britain.

ALAN COHAN, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

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